Strathnaver

The Strathnaver was the first of P&O's prestigious "White Sisters," launched in 1931 from Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. in Barrow-in-Furness, England. Her name derived from Lord Inchcape's secondary title of Viscount Strathnaver, with "Strath" being a Highland term for river.

Design and Construction

The vessel featured a distinctive all-white hull and superstructure with yellow funnels and red boot-topping. Of her three funnels, only the middle one was functional. She originally had three masts, though the two dummy masts were later removed to match the appearance of the newer Himalaya.

Commercial Service 1931-1940

The Strathnaver commenced her maiden voyage on October 2, 1931. She operated primarily on the London to Bombay route, reducing the journey time from 16 to 15 days with her service speed exceeding 20 knots. Initially, she accommodated 500 first-class and 688 tourist-class passengers, later modified to carry 1,222 tourist-class passengers.

Wartime Service 1940-1950

In 1940, the vessel began transporting troops from Australia and New Zealand, eventually carrying nearly a million military personnel during World War II. She participated in the North African invasion in October 1942. The Strathnaver was the last of her type to return to commercial service, resuming operations on January 5, 1950, after an extensive post-war refit.

Post-War Service 1950-1962

The vessel represented P&O at the Royal Coronation Review at Spithead in 1953. Like other P&O passenger liners of the era, she continued to carry substantial cargo for revenue until the advent of containerization. In April 1962, she was sold to Hong Kong interests for breaking.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Built by	Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness
Dimensions	666ft x 80ft (203m x 24.4m)
Draft	29ft (8.8m)
Gross Tonnage	22,270
Propulsion	Turbo-electric motors (28,000 SHP)
Crew	480
Passenger Decks	7
Sister Ships	Strathaird, Strathallan, Stratheden, Strathmore